A Valentine's Day Special: Give Everything for You
by anonangel
Summary: For Valentine's Day 2011. It's a Thalico. No hatters, just love. xx


Nico sat on the porch of the big house, thinking. He was in love with her, and he knew that now, but she would never love her back. It was not a lover boy being pessimist, it was the truth.

Nico sighed, she - and the rest of the hunters - would be arriving in moments, he definitely needed to get himself together.

And there she was, her black hair moving around, her beautiful blue eyes gazing at camp. And then they landed on him.

Yes, Thalia saw him. Nico, her best friend, who was already sixteen. He looked so different from the little scrawny kid she had first met, so handsome.

_No, shake it off._ She though. After all, Thalia was a huntress, and she had to ignore the temptation.

However, she felt a smile in her face and walked to him.

"Hey." She said.

Nico nodded, not even looking at her. In truth, he was resisting temptation too.

"How's it going, Huntress?" He said, only to remind himself.

"Great." Thalia smiled, but half-heartedly. "I was about to go to the cabin and leave my stuff, come with me?"

"Always." Nico wanted to say, "Forever and always." But instead, he just said "Sure."

They walked in an uncomfortable silence through camp, stealing glances at each other.

"No, in here." Thalia said, pointing to the Zeus's cabin when Nico started walking to the Artemis. Nico then looked at her, curious. "I just want some time tonight." She explained.

"Oh." Was all Nico could say. "Anything wrong?"

"No, just, you know, Jason." She answered. "Where is he, anyways?"

"Climbing wall, I think."

"Great, I'll have to go see him."

Nico nodded, and watched her move around the cabin, until he picked up the picture of the siblings that had just fell.

"You're lucky, both of you." The sight made him sad, because he thought of Bianca. He really missed her as hell, **(no pun intended)** which was really ironic.

Thalia looked at him, and even though she was a Huntress, even though she shouldn't be doing this, she walked up to Nico and hugged him.

"I _am _sorry. She was really nice, you know, but she died grandly, proud."

Nico just stood there, shocked by the hug, and returned it a few seconds later. His mind was finally made up.

"Thal..." He started, pulling away.

Thalia made a face at the nickname, but otherwise ignored it. "Yeah?"

"Could we talk?"

Nico was just so nervous, and Thalia's heart beat just so loud, that both of them stopped completely for a second, just enough to see the silhouette of Aphrodite smiling at them, each in their own fantasy.

Thalia nodded and sat down on the bed, patting the spot next to her. Nico sat down and looked up front, then stood up abruptly.

"Nico?" Thalia asked concerned.

"Sorry." He said. "I just shouldn't be doing this, Thalia, but it's too much for me now. I know you're a Huntress, and I know you wouldn't break your vow, but please, don't be mad at me, because of what I'm telling you."

His speech came out hurried and cute, but Thalia understood every single word.

"I love you." Nico said simply, looking at her. Thalia just stared, unsure of what to do, until Nico left the cabin.

She felt so confused. She knew she loved him too, she just didn't see how she could break her vow, she was in too deep.

Thalia then fell asleep, through the whole afternoon, and dinner, too.

"Thalia!" A familiar voice came from the doorstep, waking her up. She looked up and saw her brother, all tall and built, no trace of the little boy except for the smile and the eyes.

She stood up and hugged him - this she could do, of course - and while hugging him, all her emotions came out. She cried in her brother's arms.

"Hey, hey. What's wrong?" He asked, soothing.

"I'm just, I - " But she couldn't say it, so she just shaked off the tears and pulled away. "I'm happy to see you. Ew. I'm _not_ happy about how sweaty you are."

Jason laughed and told her he'd go take a shower. As soon as he left, the room was evolved in a bright pink light. _Won't I ever be alone? _Thalia thought, before seeing Aphrodite appear.

"Lady Aphrodite." Thalia said.

"Thalia, dear." Aphrodite answered. "I believe we should talk. Tell me, what's troubling you?"

"I'm sure you already know." Thalia replied sadly.

"You're right. Listen to me, just go with your heart. You love him, he loves you. No matter Artemis."

"Sorry, but My Lady do matters. I'm not tolerating disrespect towards her."

Aphrodite frowned. "How about disrespect towards me? Or towards Nico, for you lying to him? Do you think it's fair for the poor boy?"

And now Thalia was feeling guilty. She stared out the window until she found Nico, sitting alone under her pine tree, with Peleus next to him. She could not do this to him. For Zeus, she couldn't do this to herself.

"I'm sorry Lady Artemis." She whispered, leaving Aphrodite behind and walking towards Nico.

She pulled him up with her hand.

_Amazing how I can't refuse her, _Nico thought, starting to let go.

But Thalia had other plans. She gripped his hand harder, stood on her tiptoes, and kissed him.

Nico was dumbstruck for a second. He didn't react, and just as Thalia thought she was doing the wrong thing, Nico kissed her back. They were each other's first kiss, and neither thought their first kiss would be so passionate.

They broke off the kiss by the need of air, but continued to embrace each other.

"I love you, too." Thalia muttered. "I'm sorry for my reaction earlier. I just - well, I was confused for starters, and.."

"Don't worry." Nico cut her off, smiling.

That was the last moment of peace before Artemis appeared in front of them.

"Thalia." She said solemnly.

"Lady Artemis." Thalia, Artemis realized, had abstained from calling her 'My Lady'. Truth be told, Thalia already felt different, free, she knew she was no longer a Huntress.

"Fifteen or twenty-one?" Artemis asked.

"I'm sorry?" Thalia answered, completely confused.

"Do you wish to continue your life as a fifteen year old, or do you want to go on as a twenty-one year old?" Artemis said, closing her eyes. She really did not like loosing a maiden to a _boy_, but there was nothing she could do about it now.

Thalia had already broken the vow.

Nico turned to Thalia, afraid of her answer. What if she thought life as a young adult was better than life as a teenager? What would become of him?

Thalia was shocked her mistress had not said anything before asking that. True, Artemis wasn't violent or prone to discussion, except with Lord Apollo, of course.

"Fifteen." She said, not even properly thinking about it.

Nico let out his breathe, and let his arm travel around her waist. Only later he realized he shouldn't have done that, since Artemis had gone from cold-eyes to a glare directed to him.

Thalia smiled at him, reassuring him it was okay.

"Fifteen it is." Artemis sighed, as if it hurt. She nodded to Thalia, and disappeared.

Nico and Thalia stood in silence for a few minutes.

"She was wrong." Nico said eventually.

"Sorry?" Thalia asked.

"You are not fifteen. It's twelve o'clock."

That's when Thalia remembered: her birthday, and she was mortal. She would've been twenty-two, but right now, she was just happy to be sixteen.

She had also spent exactly six years as a Huntress.

"Happy Birthday, love." Nico said, pulling her in for a kiss.


End file.
